With the increasing attention to food safety, the safety of “genetically modified foods†has become a hot issue in the scientific community and even the public. However, on March 2 this year, the Ministry of Agriculture first published on the official website the “approval of agricultural genetically modified organisms used for processing raw materials†(hereinafter referred to as “approval statusâ€), and once again pushed this “genetic safety†debate. To the cusp.
It is understood that the Ministry of Agriculture has announced various types of genetically modified agricultural products imported from China since 2004, covering a variety of crops such as soybeans, corn, cotton and rapeseed. Among them, a total of 79 batches of products have obtained safety certificates so far, and certificates of 37 batches of products are within the validity period. At the same time, the “approval situation†shows that the use of genetically modified crops currently imported in China is “processing raw materialsâ€.
According to industry experts, “processing raw materials†means that these imported genetically modified crops will be used in oil processing, animal feed, food manufacturing and other fields, and the proportion of animal feed is the largest.
So, will genetically modified feeds made with genetically modified crops or their processing by-products adversely affect the animals they feed, and ultimately the consumers, humans?
The reporter got two very different answers in the interview.
Risks need to be observed for a long time
"At present, most of the compound feed used by livestock and poultry in China contains genetically modified ingredients," said Yan Shiyan, deputy director of the National Feed Engineering Technology Research Center and professor of China Agricultural University.
He explained that, like human food composition, protein is also an essential nutrient for livestock. Soybeans and bean cakes, which are soy products after soaking or pressing, are the main source of protein for livestock and poultry feed. Almost all pigs and chickens are fed with soybean meal or bean cake.
However, at present, China's domestic soybeans are non-GMO soybeans, while domestic soybeans only account for about a quarter of China's total soybean consumption. The rest are imported from the United States, Argentina and other countries, and US soybeans are genetically modified soybeans.
According to data released by the General Administration of Customs, in 2011, China imported a total of 52.64 million tons of soybeans, and in 2010 it reached 54.8 million tons. The research report released by the US Department of Agriculture in December last year predicted that China's soybean imports will reach 56.5 million tons in the 2011/2012 marketing year.
"As long as the soybeans imported from abroad are genetically modified soybeans, we will inevitably incorporate genetically modified ingredients in the feed production process," said Yan Shiyan, a reporter from the Chinese Journal of Science.
For the safety of feed containing genetically modified ingredients, many experts interviewed by the reporter said that there is not enough evidence in the short-term experiment to prove that the genetically modified feed will have obvious side effects, which requires long-term comprehensive observation and experiment.
“The short-term research we conducted showed that there is no side effect of GM feed. As for whether there is a long-term risk, I can't conclude.†Researcher Tan Zhiliang, deputy director of the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture and Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine The reporter of the Chinese Journal of Science said.
As early as 2006, Liu Mei, an associate researcher at the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, organized a project called “Research on GM Crop Monitoring and Safety Assessment Methods†with the support of the National High Technology Research and Development Program and the Qingdao Science and Technology Development Program. In this project, Liu Mei team used imported genetically modified and domestic non-GM soybean meal to make feed, fed Gifford tilapia, and then weighed 4 weeks and 7 weeks after feeding, took blood and tested its blood routine physiology. Biochemical indicators to evaluate the effects of genetically modified soybean meal on the growth and physiology of tilapia.
Liu Mei told the reporter of the Chinese Journal of Science and Technology that through research, it was found that tilapia containing GM soybean feed had abnormalities in some biochemical indicators such as white blood cell count, platelet volume and distribution, and at the same time, in tilapia In the organization, some gene fragments that were not originally tilapia were also found. The results showed that the genetically modified soybeans had certain effects on some physiological processes of tilapia, but did not have a visible impact on their growth, and this Whether the anomaly indicates a substantial damage to tilapia remains to be further studied.
At the same time, Liu Mei particularly stressed that because this conclusion is only a preliminary result, the experiment needs to be further improved, and it is not possible to draw conclusions that the genetically modified feed is harmful.
Yan Shiyan introduced that his research center had conducted two tests on the safety of pigs fed with genetically modified soybean glyphosate resistant to herbicide glyphosate. One of the tests was to feed weaned piglets of about 7 to 8 kg with feed containing glyphosate-resistant genetically modified soybean meal until the weight of the pigs increased to about 20 kg. Observe the physiological and biochemical indicators of the pigs during this time period. Change; the other is to carry out a digestive test on pigs from 20 kg to 50 kg to test whether it has an effect on the digestive function of pigs.
"From our test results, no GM soybeans were found to have adverse effects on pigs," said Yan Shiyan.
However, Yan Shiyan also admitted that the current trial is still not perfect, and long-term experimental research is needed. For example, the effect of genetically modified soybean meal on the offspring after long-term feeding of sows, "However, these studies are difficult and costly."
Zhang Junmin, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, believes that the safety of genetically modified crops and feeds that meet the relevant requirements and research processes can be guaranteed.
He explained to the reporter of the Chinese Journal of Science that when researchers decide to transfer a gene to another species, they will strictly and carefully evaluate the role and safety of the gene, and entrust a professional organization according to the relevant genetic modification regulations. Various risk assessments, which often last up to seven or eight years. “Therefore, as long as it is strictly followed, the safety of GM products as feed is controllable and reliable,†he said.
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